Health Hazard In Quebec As Unknown Amounts Of Frozen Strawberries Were Contaminated With Hepatitis A

An unknown amount of frozen strawberries sold in Adonis grocery stores have been contaminated with the hepatitis A virus and cases of the disease have already been reported, pointing to a possible health hazard in Quebec. The citizens of Quebec, therefore, are urged to take no risk and not consume frozen strawberries from the Egyptian brand Montana sold in Adonis stores.

All the strawberries lots of the product sold until this Saturday in all establishments of the Adonis brands are affected by the recall. Frozen strawberries were sold in 1-kilo bags.

All those who consumed the product raw are at risk

The producer itself has decided to recall the product and has asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food for assistance in disseminating the notice.

“People who have this product in their possession are therefore advised not to consume it and return it to the establishment where they bought it from. Even if the affected product does not show signs of spoilage or odors, consuming it can be a health risk if it has been consumed raw. Cooking inactivates the hepatitis A virus,” the health representatives said in their statement, which was issued Saturday night.

Hepatitis A is very infectious and is a serious health hazard

“Infection with the hepatitis A virus usually manifests with fever, general malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. The infection can also cause jaundice [yellowish aspect of the skin and yellowish eyes), dark (brownish) urine, and pale stools. Symptoms can appear even after up to 50 days (7 weeks) after eating the contaminated food,” said the ministry.

People who consumed the recalled food have been already infected, unfortunately.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food tells anyone who has eaten these strawberries contaminated with hepatitis A virus and who has not been immunized against hepatitis A to consult a health professional as soon as possible or to contact 811 if in doubt, to avoid the propagation of what could become the most serious health hazard in Quebec, in the last decades.